Say cheese! Oxford slices story of ancient food

Cheese is far more than something slapped on a sandwich or sprinkled on top of a pizza, according to a new reference book edited by a Vermont professor.

The more than 850 entries in The Oxford Companion to Cheese, from Oxford University Press, cover ancient and modern cheesemaking traditions, varieties worldwide, and cultural and historical influences from British comedy troupe Monty Python's The Cheese Shop sketch to cheese shops, museums and even cheese tattoos.

"I think it's that one encyclopedia we've all been waiting for," says Rob Kaufelt, president and owner of Murray's Cheese, a vendor in New York.